The Aftermath
by CarriePoppins
Summary: Following a run-in with an akuma named Aphrodisiac, both Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Chat Noir find themselves questioning if they really are "just friends".


This little fanfic of mine is inspired by Eden Daphne's wonderful short fan-comic "Passionate Kiss". You can find it pretty easily on YouTube and other sites. I highly recommend viewing it before reading my little story, as it does treat the aftermath of aforementioned comic. Things will make more sense, and I think it'll be even funnier.

The Aftermath

Tikki had worked with many Miraculous wielders over the milenia, and each of them had had their own experiences, their own challenges, and their own mistakes to work through. Take her current wielder. As capable and as sweet as Marinette was, the raven-haired, bluebell-eyed girl had done some pretty stupid things in the past, whether that was using her lucky charm to keep her crush from kissing another girl, caving to Manon's baby doll eyes, lying to cover a mistake, or doing spiteful things to Chloe and Lila. She'd also done some pretty ridiculous things, especially when it came to her crush, Adrien Agreste. They'd worked through most of her problems together, and Marinette had really risen to the challenge to become a superb Ladybug.

But Marinette screaming into her pillow and babbling hysterically about her partner, Chat Noir, for nearly two hours straight?

That was a new one.

"OH MY GOSH TIKKI I'M SUCH AN IDIOT I'M NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT HIM AGAIN AND IT WILL RUIN OUR PARTNERSHIP AND HAWKMOTH WILL TAKE OVER PARIS BECAUSE WE WON'T BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER AND IT WILL BE ALL MY FAULT BECAUSE I FREAKING MADE OUT WITH HIM AND THAT STUPID CAT ACTUALLY KISSED ME BACK AND I WASN'T EVEN TRANSFORMED YET SO WHY THE HECK WOULD HE KISS ME AND WHAT DO I DO NOW!?"

"Um… I guess you could… apologize?" Tikki suggested timidly as she rubbed her wailing companion's back.

"BUT WHEN THE HECK AM I SUPPOSED TO SEE HIM OUTSIDE THE SUIT?! I CAN'T JUST WALK UP TO HIM AS LADYBUG AND TELL HIM THAT MARINETTE WANTS TO TALK TO HIM BECAUSE THEN HE'LL GET SUSPICIOUS AND OH MY GOSH TIKKI WHAT IF MY IDENTITY GETS REVEALED OVER THIS?!"

"Well, um, it could be worse?"

"HOW THE HECK COULD IT BE WORSE?! THE ONLY WAY THIS COULD BE WORSE IS IF ADRIEN _SAW _ME KISSING CHAT OR EVEN _WORSE_ IS IF _ADRIEN_ WAS THE ONE UNDER THAT MASK AND _OH MY GOSH TIKKI WHAT IF ADRIEN IS CHAT NOIR?! _THAT WOULD MEAN I KISSED ADRIEN! _WORSE _I _MADE OUT_ WITH _ADRIEN!_"

"…I'm not at liberty to confirm or deny."

"_I WANTED TO KEEP KISSING HIM_, TIKKI WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME I'M A HORRIBLE PERSON I'M SUPPOSED TO BE IN LOVE WITH ADRIEN I CAN'T GO AROUND KISSING OTHER GUYS NO MATTER HOW LOYAL OR SWEET OR HOT THEY MIGHT BE _GAH! I JUST CALLED CHAT NOIR HOT!_ I'M GONNA DIE OF EMBARRASSMENT!"

"Just take deep breaths, Marinette, it'll be okay, I promise. I imagine that Chat Noir's a bit of a mess too, right now. Just be patient, and I'm sure he'll come himself. It'll work out, I promise."

Marinette just wailed into her pillow, utterly oblivious to the comforting little paws rubbing her back.

It really would be so much easier if the magic would just let her tell Marinette everything, but unfortunately, sometimes the hardest part of being a kwami was letting her Chosens figure things out for themselves. Tikki inwardly sighed, wondering how Plagg was holding up on his end.

…..

Plagg wasn't sure he'd laughed this hard in his entire 5 billion years of existence. Of course, he had to do it quiet-like. After all, it wouldn't do for his kid to realize that not only had he kissed his adorable 'Princess' - who he _still_ insisted was 'just a friend' - but that he had also been kissing - quite _passionately_, might Plagg add - the very girl that he had been pining for - _oh _so subtly - for the past three years. On top of that, aforementioned girl had been madly pining for his mild-mannered alter-ego for as long as he had been pining for hers, and had no idea she was kissing her crush. And that oblivious, idiotic kitten _still_ didn't realize that _she liked him._ What better entertainment could a kwami wish for?

He bit off his sniggering to peek around the corner at his kid again. He was lying exactly where he'd been all afternoon, spread-eagle on his bed with one arm flopped over his eyes, the warm pink flush of his cheeks extending all the way to the tips of his ears. On occasion, a wave of red would rush across his face, sometimes even extending down his arm. Plagg had to fight down another cackle at the thought.

"Hey, kid?"

"…"

"Your face is red."

"Plagg…"

"Kid…"

"Don't start."

"Too late."

"And wipe that smirk off your face."

"Only when you wipe the blush off of yours."

"I'm not blushing!"

"Sure, kid," Plagg cackled, creeping a little closer. His boy's jaw was clenched, and he could imagine that his eyes were too, under that rapidly-darkening arm. His grin spread a little wider. "So how was it?"

"Would you just shut up?!"

"It must have been pretty good; don't think I didn't notice you going in for seconds."

"Plagg!"

"I think she liked it too. She certainly didn't seem to mind when she came up for air and you kept going."

"_Plagg!_"

"So who was it that started with the ton-"

_Whumph! _

Plagg yelped in surprise as he was knocked to the ground and virtually flattened beneath a giant packet of feathers. He phased through it before turning irritably towards his chosen.

"Oi, no pillows!"

"You deserved it, you cheese-scarfing traitor!" his boy snapped back, supporting his weight on his elbows. Without the arm covering his eyes, Plagg had full view of his beet-red blush.

And suddenly the pillow was worth it.

"I'm just telling it how it is, kid," the kwami smirked. "You can lie to yourself all you want, but don't you dare try to convince me that she's just a friend."

"But she _is_ just a friend! And I freaking _kissed_ her! Worse than kissed her, I was _making out_ with her! How the heck am I supposed to look at her again, much less _talk_ to her, or even act _marginally_ _normal_ around her anymore?!"

"I dunno, kid, but I tell you what, class tomorrow is going to be _hilarious_. Especially given the fact that she's not supposed to know _you _were the one she was kissing."

His boy slumped back on the bed with a groan, his arm flopping across his face again. "Oh gosh, I am so dead."

"Well, you're not wrong," the kwami cackled back, floating over to his stash of Camembert.

"…Plagg?"

"Yeah kid?"

"Alya and Nino are going to know something's up, aren't they."

Plagg blinked, pausing mid-bite. The DJ and the reporter, huh? Who also happened to be the best friends of the two lovebirds, and the biggest Ladybug fans in existence. Present company excluded, of course.

"That… might be a problem."

…..

Alya was many things. Amateur blogger, aspiring journalist, part-time superhero, full-time snoop, and a fiercely loyal friend. So naturally when she walked into the school the next morning to see her BFF actually _early _to school, sitting on a bench in the courtyard, she knew instantly that something was up. The fact that her clothes were rumpled as though she had slept in them, her hair was frizzy and her ponytails were askew, as well as the fact that she also gazed into space with an expression that made it look like she was about to burst either into tears or hysterical laughter at a moment's notice were just icing on the cake.

Pursing her lips, she strode silently to her friend's side, then sat down on the bench next to her. "Good morning, Marinette."

Her poor sweet friend didn't even blink. She just continued to stare, her cheeks flushed faintly pink. Alya glanced at the wall, just in case there was a random poster of Adrien Agreste's newest modeling photos in the direction she was staring. Given that there wasn't, she returned her efforts to trying to catch her friend's attention.

"Marinette? Hello? Earth to Marinette? Hey!"

"Huh?!" Marinette yelped, arms flailing as she turned to her BFF with an expression like a doe caught in a pair of headlights. "Gah! Alya! It's not what you think! Whatever you saw, it wasn't- we're not- I'm not-"

"Whoa, whoa, where's the fire? Girl are you okay? You're acting bizarre even by your usual standards."

"WhAT? Oh no, I'm _absolutely_ fine! Completely, totally, one hundred percent fine there is absolutely _no _reason to worry about me in any way, shape, or form!"

"Which is basically Marinette code for, 'Alya I'm dying I don't know what to do, please save me'. What's going on, girl?"

Marinette stared at her for a solid ten seconds before she caved. "Alya, I don't know what to do I'm going crazy and I can't let anybody find out and I don't know why to act or how to say or who to think and I'm _freaking out!_"

"I can tell this is a bad one," Alya chuckled gently. "Does this need to be a private convo?"

"Y-Yes? Please?"

"Come on, girl," she grinned, taking her friend by the hand and leading her gently towards an empty classroom nearby the staircase. Once the door was closed, she sat her down at one of the empty desks and stood in front of her with her arms crossed. "Alright. Spill."

Marinette fidgeted uncomfortably, twiddling her thumbs as she nibbled her bottom lip. "Well… um… it's… it's about yesterday… And… the akuma attack."

"Yesterday's akuma? You mean that creepy love akuma? The one that made… people… make out?" Her eyes widened as realization struck. She'd gotten lucky enough to be hit with Nino. They were already dating so, abnormally passionate or not, kissing wasn't new to them. But if poor Marinette had gotten caught up in that, there was little wonder that her brain was fried. "Oh crap. So, who did you get hit with?"

"I… I actually didn't get hit by the ray."

"Huh? Then… what happened?"

"I…"

"Marinette?"

"I… might have… possibly…kjlisedchaateoijlnosier."

"Didn't catch that."

"I… might have… ksieljd… Calht… Nowiejr…"

"You did what to who?"

"Alya, I…" Marinette paused, taking a deep breath and scrunching her eyes shut. "ALYA I KISSED CHAT NOIR!"

Alya stared at Marinette for three solid seconds, blinked seven or ten times, took a deep breath, and screamed. "YOU DID WHAT?!"

"I KISSED CHAT NOIR!" Marinette wailed again, flopping dramatically across the desk and burying her face against her arm.

"Wh- But- How- Why?!"

"I panicked, Alya! The Akuma had us cornered, and I couldn't let Chat and me get hit, because we - because _he _\- is one of the heroes of Paris and he had to help m - help _Ladybug _\- save Paris so I thought that the only to keep us - keep _him _\- from getting hit by the ray was to do what the ray made people do, which was to kiss, so I kissed him and _he kissed me back Alya_, and then the Akuma left but he _kept_ kissing me and _I _kept kissing _him_ and now I _DON'T_ KNOW WHAT TO _DO!_"

Alya jaw hung open as she stared at her friend sobbing against the desk. She was obviously a psychotic wreck at the moment, completely overwhelmed by the admission that she and Chat Noir had apparently shared a consensual moment.

"Well… uh… was it… _nice_?"

"_Yes, _that's the _problem!_" Marinette practically shrieked back. "I'm supposed to be in love with _Adrien_, I can't go around kissing other guys!"

"So basically in short, you did the only thing you could think of to keep Chat and yourself from being shot by the Akuma, and you enjoyed it way more than you think you should have."

"Don't say it like that," Marinette wailed, her voice muffled by her arms.

"Am I wrong?"

"…"

"Well?"

"…No."

"Okay. So tell me, is the issue that you don't like Chat Noir and you're feeling violated, or that you actually _do _like Chat Noir, and you just didn't realize it before now?"

"This doesn't have anything to _do_ with whether or not I like Chat Noir! I'm already in love with _Adrien _I can't have a crush on Chat Noir, too!"

"Says who?"

"_What?!_"

"Marinette, we both know how long you've been mad for Adrien, but frankly, there hasn't been much progress there. So tell me, are you reluctant to admit that you have a second crush because of your loyalty towards Adrien, or because of your loyalty towards your feelings for him?"

"I… I don't know…"

"Well then, hunny, maybe it's time to figure that out," Alya smiled gently, taking a seat next to Marinette and gently rubbing her best friend's back. "It's okay to move on, you know."

"But… but what if I _do_ like Chat? He's in love with _Ladybug!_ Not with… well, with _me._ And what if even when I like Chat I can't let go of Adrien? That's just… that just seems wrong! And even if he likes me back and I can let go and move on, how the heck would a relationship with a superhero work?! I mean, I can't really get to know him with the whole 'secret identity' thing. And how could I tell him my… well… um… nevermind," she mumbled miserably, fiercely blinking back tears.

"I'll admit, it's… complicated. But if anyone can figure out how to manage a situation like this, it's you, girl. So here's what I think you should do. When lunch comes around, go home, grab your favorite comfort food from the bakery, barricade yourself in your room, and write everything out in your diary. Decide how you really feel about this whole mess and what it is that you're really upset about, and then come back. Then we'll figure out what to do, okay?"

"…Okay. Thanks, Alya."

Alya grinned, slipping her arms around her BFF's shoulders and squeezing her gently. "Anytime, girl."

…..

Nino was a pretty chill guy, most of the time. It kind of went with the territory of being a DJ. Honestly, very few things fazed him, be it Akuma attacks, friend drama, DJing competitions, or even when Ladybug had asked him to take on the mantle of the superhero Carapace.

Although, that did bring up one of the few things that _could _make him lose his cool. When the people he cared about were in danger, Nino would do whatever necessary to protect them.

So when he heard Alya's shriek through a door across the courtyard, he hurried over to the classroom in question. A peek through the window assured him that he didn't need to intervene, however. Alya simply appeared to be walking Marinette through another one of her anxiety attacks. With a sympathetic smile, he headed up the stairs to class, where he suspected _his _best friend was already seated.

He caught sight of Adrien before he'd even opened the door. He must've had another crazy late night, because he looked exhausted, his elbows planted on the desk, his chin leaning against his hands, his cheeks unusually flushed. He didn't even look up when Nino walked in. Could he be sick?

"Hey man, what's up?"

"Huh?!" Adrien startled so badly that his chin slipped from his hand and nearly hit the desk before his head snapped back up to stare at his best bro with wide eyes.

"Whoa, didn't mean to make you freak like that. You must've been really spaced out."

"Oh. Y-yeah. I was thinking about… Actually, nevermind, it doesn't matter," Adrien mumbled, returning his gaze to the blackboard. Nino frowned, watching him. He seemed anxious, or at least stressed. That odd red flush seemed to be rising in his cheeks, and he kept twisting the ring he wore on his right hand.

"Bro, are you okay? You don't look so good."

"Fine! I'm fine! I'm perfectly good! Why?"

"Dude, you sound like Marinette. What's going on with you?"

"It's nothing I swear!"

His denial only increased Nino's concern. Adrien was staring a hole into his desk, one hand obsessively rubbing the back of his neck while the other continued to fiddle with the ring. Unbidden, memories of yesterday leapt to his head. Granted, making out with Alya hadn't been the worst thing that could happen, but he could think of several other people in the school that'd had some uncomfortable experiences, not the least of which being Kim with Alex and poor Nathaniel with Chloe.

"Did you get hit by the Akuma yesterday too?"

"What?!" Adrien yelped, jumping visibly. "What gave you that idea?!"

"Bro, I've never seen you act like this. I know yesterday was weird, but it was weird for everyone. You don't have to hide it from me, you're my best bud!"

"I- Um- That is-" Adrien suddenly froze, his eyes going very wide, as the door to the classroom opened and a soft, familiar voice hit their ears.

"I'm just scared, Alya."

"Look, Marinette, don't worry about it now, okay? Wait until lunch break before trying to sort anything out. Oh hey guys, what's up?"

"Hey Alya! Hey Marinette! Y'all doing good?"

"Yeah, it's just been a crazy week for everybody," Alya grinned back at his inquiry, gently rubbing Marinette's back as she guided her to her desk. "How 'bout y'all?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Adrien- Adrien?"

Adrien had suddenly sprung to his feet, his head ducked, his ears burning red, avoiding looking at either of the girls. "Sorry, I've gotta run to the bathroom," he squeaked before scrambling out from behind the desk and rushing out the door.

"Dude, what are you doing?! Class is about to start! Man, what is up with that guy today?" Nino grumbled.

"Maybe you should follow him?" Alya suggested, frowning towards the door.

"Alya, guys don't chase down their guy friends to make sure they're okay, that's a _girl _thing."

"Ugh, you know you can't say no to me. Just go check on him, knucklehead!" Alya grumbled, leaning forward to playfully flick his cap over his eyes.

"Fine," Nino sighed back, trudging out the door, "but you're explaining to Mdme. Bustier where we've gone."

"Done. Now shoo!"

When Nino reached the restroom, the first thing that he heard was the rush of water from the sink. The next thing he heard was the voices. One of them was definitely Adrien's but the other was unfamiliar to him, oddly high-pitched and almost squeaky.

"Really kid, is it such a big deal? She did it to help you, you know. If you think about it objectively, it was pretty clever."

"I can hardly even look at her, Plagg! How am I supposed to get through school today without giving myself away?"

"I dunno. Don't look at her, I guess?"

"Ugh, that's not gonna work! What if we get paired up for an assignment, or… I don't know! I just-"

"Hey Adrien, you okay dude?"

A squeak of alarm, and as he stepped around the corner, Nino found Adrien standing by the far wall with his back to the door, as though hiding something from him.

"Oh! Nino!" he exclaimed, whirling around with obviously false nonchalance. "What are you doing here?"

"Alya seemed to think that you might need a hand. What was all that about earlier?"

Adrien seemed to jump, his eyes blowing wide. "What was all what about? What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

"Just that weird voice you were talking to. Who was it?"

"Just a friend!" Adrien almost yelped. "I, uh, was talking to him on the phone."

"Huh. You must've had the volume up pretty loud then."

"It… it was on speaker phone."

"How come?"

"I was washing my… face."

"Okay… So, what was that about that girl you apparently can't… look… at? Whoa, bro. You okay?" In all his life, Nino had never seen Adrien so red. He'd practically turned the same shade as Nathaniel's hair. He must've experienced something mortifyingly embarrassing yesterday to be like this now. He'd reacted adversely when Nino had suggested that he might have been hit by the Akuma, he was worried about some girl that he would see at school today, and he had practically run out of the classroom when Alya and Marinette had walked in.

And Alya had needed to walk Marinette through an anxiety attack this morning.

No way.

"Dude, did you _kiss Marinette?_"

Adrien choked, his blush _deepening_ if that was even possible. "N-No!" he squawked.

"Bro, you _so_ did!"

"No I didn't! You can ask her; she never kissed me yesterday!"

"Then why are you so red?"

"Because… um… because I… I saw her… kissing… someone else."

Nino stared at his blushing, fidgeting best friend, twisting his ring and occasionally rubbing the back of his neck. "No freaking way," he gaped. "Bro, are you _jealous?_"

The sound that escaped Adrien's throat as his head dropped into his hands was somewhere between a groan, a squeak, and a whimper. "M-Maybe?" he protested weakly.

"_Dude,_ you _so _are."

Adrien groaned, slumping back against the wall and sinking to the floor with his face buried against his arms. "She's _just a friend,_ Nino. Why the heck should I be jealous?"

"Bro, are you being serious right now?" Nino chuckled, walking over to sit down next to him. "If you're trying to keep your crush on the down-low because you think you've been friend-zoned by Marinette, then you've gotta be the most oblivious person I've ever met."

"What do you-?"

"Dude, Marinette's had a crush on you for ages."

"Marinette… what?"

"You seriously haven't noticed, have you?" Nino chuckled. "Geez bro, and to think we've all been placing bets for when you'd finally figure it out."

"Marinette… has a crush on… Wait. Bets?!"

"Chill out, man. It's just harmless fun. My point is, if you want to make a move, I'd do it sooner rather than later."

"But… but I don't…"

"If you don't know how to approach her, I bet Alya would be willing to help you out. And of course I'll be your wingman."

"Nino, I don't _know _how I feel about Marinette, okay? I mean, sure, she's sweet and smart and creative and cute and selfless and brave and… and why are you looking at me like that?!"

"Ah nothing, just it seems pretty obvious to me how you feel about her."

"Nino, I can't."

"Why not? She's single. You're single. Looks to me like you like each other quite a bit…"

"It's not that! Nino, I'm already in love with someone else!"

"Who, the sweet, smart, creative, cute, selfless, brave, mystery girl?"

"Yes!"

"Man, you've so got a type. Anyway dude, feelings change, you know. And whether or not you _think_ Marinette's a friend-zone, you _know _this other girl is a friend-zone. Maybe it's time to consider other options."

"Nino… I _can't_."

"So you keep saying. Just promise me you'll think about it?"

"…Fine. I'll think about it. That's all."

"That's all I ask, man. Now do you think you can handle sitting in front of Marinette during Mdme. Bustier's class, or will that make your brain explode?"

Adrien managed a weak chuckle at that, accepting the hand Nino offered to help him upright. "I'll do my best."

…..

_Dear Diary, _

_I'm writing in here because… Well, something… kind of crazy happened yesterday. There was another Akuma attack - shocker, I know - but this one was weirder than normal. She called herself Aphrodisiac. Basically a class matchmaker gone rogue. Her ability was just what it sounds like: one shot of her 'Love Gun' and the people struck immediately became infatuated with the person closest to them, and they promptly start kissing. Passionately. It was kind of uncomfortable. Actually, it was very uncomfortable, but it's not like I have any room to talk._

_You see, this is where the crazy comes in. I did something… incredibly stupid yesterday, and now I have to deal with the consequences. Basically, Aphrodisiac had me and Chat cornered in an alley, and obviously I couldn't let either of us get hit - the city needed us!- so I did the one think I could think of to make the akuma - hopefully - ignore us: I __made out with_ _kissed Chat Noir. _

_And that's when everything came crashing down. _

_He kissed me back. Like actually, seriously, _kissed _me! And then he _kept _kissing me, even after the akuma left! And the worst part is, I… I didn't want it to stop. When he finally pulled away… I almost pulled him back. If it weren't for Tikki, I _would _have! I wish I could put all the blame on him. Say that he's a crazy stupid idiot and I can't believe that he would do something like that and be unfaithful to his feelings for Ladybug and that it's his fault that now suddenly I'm questioning my own feelings for Adrien. But I can't. I kissed him first, after all. And… I hate to admit this. Literally hate it. I've been in denial all night. And all day. And people have started to notice. But… once I started kissing Chat, I realized… I realized… I… like him._

_There. I said it. Or, wrote it, at least. _

_I like him. I like Chat Noir. He's brave and kind and honest and selfless __and funny_ _and he expects me to be the same. He… he makes me want to be better. As Ladybug, and as Marinette. _

_I like him, so why do I feel so horrible about it? Is it because I still like Adrien? Even when I've finally admitted how I feel about Chat? Alya says I didn't do anything wrong. Adrien and I aren't together, after all, no matter how long I've been in love with him. She says it's okay to move on. But… I'm not sure that I can. There was a moment, when I was kissing Chat, when it felt like… like I was kissing Adrien. Not that I know what it feels like from experience! But… there was just this moment when I felt like Chat was someone else. Someone more shy. More… vulnerable. More… Adrien-ish. And that's the part that I… that I liked the most._

_Ugh, what is wrong with me?! You can't be in love with two people at once! Can you? _

_I guess I'm just saying that even if I decided to pursue Chat, it wouldn't be fair to him if I'm still mad for Adrien. And I guess there's this part of me that's afraid… Well, it's no secret that Chat is mad for Ladybug. But he kissed _me_. _Marinette, _not Ladybug. Can I really trust someone who switched loyalties so easily? _

_Then again, of the two of us, I'm the bigger traitor. After all, by kissing Marinette, he's still kissing Ladybug. When you think about it, all this proves is that Chat's fallen in love with both sides of me - the shy designer, and the brave hero. But I… I can't say the same. _

_How can I possibly be worthy of someone so good? _

_How can I ever face him again?_

_Maman's calling me. I'll be back in a bit._

_Marinette_

…..

"Kid, this is a bad idea."

"I know."

"So why are you doing it?!"

"I just… I have to talk to her, okay?! I have to…clear the air. That's all."

"Well, it's your funeral, kid. I'm just telling you now: it's a bad idea."

"Duly noted. Plagg, claws out!"

Chat Noir glanced cautiously back into his room as he balanced on the precariously narrow sill of his open window. It really was a horrible idea, especially given that he had no idea what Marinette thought of yesterday's events, but still, he worried that if he didn't do it now, his courage would fail him altogether.

He had to tell her that he liked her.

He hadn't realized it until Nino had told him about Marinette's crush on him as Adrien, but the moment that he knew… it was undeniable. It was as though, despite all of the confusion and fear and conflict and general _weirdness_ of what had gone down yesterday, knowing that she liked him had made him feel…dizzy. _Giddy_ even. It was the same sensation he got on the rare occasion when Ladybug would flirt with him, the same buzz whenever she smiled and he knew it was meant just for him, the same childish glee when he got to see her on patrol.

He had to tell Marinette that he liked her, and he had to tell her that it could never work.

He hated how the thought made his heart plummet into his stomach, but he couldn't lie to her. As much as he liked Marinette, he was still in love with Ladybug. He couldn't pursue a relationship with Marinette as either Chat Noir or Adrien when his heart was split two ways.

The worst part of this idea, however, was the fear that he would have to break her heart twice. He paused a building away from the Dupain-Cheng bakery as he caught a glimpse of her through the round window of her bedroom.

The kindest, smartest, and bravest girl in school, their everyday Ladybug…

How could he possibly do that to her? Especially since in a lot of ways, Nino was right. Ladybug had made it very clear that she didn't want their relationship to be anything more than a professional one. But Marinette… Marinette _liked_ him, as Adrien at least. And she seemed to enjoy his company during their late-night visits as Chat Noir. And… And she wouldn't have kissed him yesterday if she didn't at least _kind_ of like him as _him_, right?

He groaned, leaning back against one of the chimneys of the building. Come on, hadn't he just had this debate? Why was he second-guessing himself now? She'd understand.

Right?

Fighting to ignore the sickening sensation like a billion akumas fluttering in his stomach, Chat Noir steeled himself with one last deep breath and made the final jump onto Marinette's balcony. The skylight was slightly propped open to let in fresh air, so he peeked inside. It seemed that Marinette had gone downstairs for some reason. On an impulse, he pulled the window open and slipped inside, neatly swinging past her bed and onto the floor.

At least, that was his intention. In practice, his foot caught on the lowest rung of her bunk bed ladder and he stumbled forward, practically falling into her swivel chair and landing nose-first alongside a small, semicircular notebook covered in Marinette's neat handwriting.

_'…Chat's fallen in love with both sides of me…' _

He hadn't meant to read it. Honestly, he hadn't. But that small glimpse was enough to make him freeze in his tracks. _I've fallen in love with both sides of her? What…?_

Darn his cattish tendencies.

There were times, like right now, when his curiosity got away from him and it felt as though Plagg seized control of his body. Before he'd had a chance to check himself, he'd started reading at the top of the page. By the time he got to the bottom, his heart was pounding.

_'Then again, of the two of us, I'm the bigger traitor. After all, by kissing Marinette, he's still kissing Ladybug. When you think about it, all this proves is that Chat's fallen in love with both sides of me - the shy designer, and the brave hero. But I… I can't say the same. _

_'How can I possibly be worthy of someone so good? _

_'How can I ever face him again?'_

He couldn't breathe. He felt as though every gear in his brain had suddenly been jammed into neutral.

Marinette…

Marinette and Ladybug…

They liked him. Maybe _loved _him.

_Both _of him.

They…

_She_…

A sharp gasp caused him to turn, dazedly, towards the figure standing on the other side of the room. Marinette stood on the top stair, holding the trapdoor open, her eyes wide as she stared at him, flicking from his face to the object that he only now realized he still held in his shaking hands.

"M-my Lady?" he whispered.

Marinette's free hand flew to her mouth, horror marring the beauty of those achingly familiar bluebell eyes. A strangled sob caught in her throat, and a second later the trapdoor slammed shut behind her as she sprinted down the stairs.

"M-Mari, wait!" Chat cried, tossing the diary in the chair as he sprang after her, throwing open the trapdoor and practically tripping down the stairs in his haste, hardly even aware of the green light as the transformation melted off of him and Plagg called out a strangled yelp of warning. He just followed the distant sound of racing feet, leaping from one landing to the next before bursting out onto the street and rushing around the corner, searching frantically for Marinette. For Ladybug.

His Princess.

His _Lady._

He managed to catch a glimpse of pink capris and black flats dashing across the street towards the school before he himself started running again, dodging irritated pedestrians and squawking cars alike in his desperation to reach her, before he lost her forever.

"Marinette! Marinette, _wait!_"

She didn't look back, didn't even slow down as she dodged past a startled Alya and Nino and darted up the stairs into the school. Adrien pushed himself faster, taking the stairs three at a time and almost bowling over Nathanael on the way.

"Marinette!"

He was only a few feet behind her when she threw open the doors to the locker room and all but staggered inside, struggling to draw breath between each ragged sob.

"Mari, stop!" Adrien cried, managing to catch her wrist as he slipped in after her.

She ripped herself away from him, stumbling forward and half-collapsing against one of the walls of lockers, her hand pressed over her mouth once again, her face determinedly turned away from him.

"M-Marinette?"

"I… I'm sorry, Chat, I just… I can't. I'm so confused and I… I can't _do_ this, I can't…_be_ what you deserve. And Adrien… and you… You're both so _good_ and kind, and brave, and amazing, and I… I get scared, and jealous, and selfish, and I… and you… You deserve so much more than _me_, you-"

Adrien didn't really plan what happened next. But seeing her comparing herself to _him _like that, so self-deprecating and anguished, he just couldn't help it. Without another word, he seized her shoulder, spinning her to face him. He caught a glimpse of her eyes, brimming with tears and with shock, before he closed the distance between them and pressed his lips against hers.

He felt her gasp, felt the tremor of shock run through her body, felt her hands fisting the fabric of his shirt and pressing into his chest, felt the movement as she tried to slip away before his hand fell on her waist and held her in place, felt the tremble in her body as her fingers slowly uncurled, felt the cautious response against his lips, felt the moment when the fight rushed out of her and she practically sank into him, her hands gripping his shoulders to steady herself, one snaking up to anchor against the back of his neck, holding him close.

It was a long, tender moment before they finally broke apart, gasping for breath, her fingers curled in his hair, his forehead resting against hers. "Marinette," he purred, his voice low, husky, much as it had been the day before. "My Lady."

She pulled back slightly, just enough to look into his eyes. "Adrien…" she whispered dazedly, pulling back a hand to cradle his cheek. "Mon Chaton?"

He couldn't help but smirk at the cautious inquiry. "We really are idiots, aren't we? All this time… we were right in front of each other."

Marinette giggled, fresh tears welling in her eyes. "Technically, I sit behind you, Minou."

Adrien chuckled before he leaned in and kissed her again, earning a soft sigh from his Princess in the process.

"We're going to have to figure out what to tell Alya and Nino," she mumbled against his lips.

"What is there to tell? I saw you kissing Chat Noir yesterday, and got so jealous that it made me realize how much I care for you. And the reverse happened for Ladybug."

"Did it now?"

"Well, I'd assume. Although I suppose I haven't actually seen the heroes since yesterday."

She laughed again, then hiccupped through her tears and started to bring a hand to her mouth in embarrassment. Adrien intercepted it though, lacing his fingers with hers and keeping it from blocking him from kissing her again. And again, until her tears had finally calmed and the bell rang, reminding them that they were not entirely alone.

…..

Chloe Bourgeois had grown up a lot in the last three years. She'd had the responsibility of Queen Bee placed on her shoulders, faced down and then started to build a tentative relationship with her mother, finally grown willing to acknowledge that Adrien was not interested in her romantically, and at least _started_ to learn how to treat others with kindness more often than with disdain. But if there was one character trait that had never wholly left her, it was her smug arrogance. So when she walked into the locker room to find Adrien and Marinette locking lips, she couldn't help but smirk at them.

"Three years, huh? Well even _I'll_ admit that it's about time, but that means _I_ win the bet! Sabrina, call Alya and tell her that she owes me one hundred euros."


End file.
